Blog
“Gradations from the Middle” (#Dyslexia #ADHD #Other Stuff)
Parents commonly come in with common questions such as, “Does their child have ADHD?” or “Is my child dyslexic?” Difficulty with reading and attention occur on a continuum or a spectrum from below the mid-point of average (see bell-curve picture above), to more...
A Helping of ADHD Mixed With a Dash of Anger: Understanding the Soup Pot
Another principle discussed in the soon to be released “School Struggles,” is the notion of the “Soup Pot Theory” of everything. With the Soup-Pot theory kids are less seen as “this” or “that” (e.g., ADHD or...
Is Your Child on the Smooth Road or Rough Road?
In about three weeks from now my new book, “School Struggles” is scheduled for release. Over the next few essays, I will try and highlight some of the main points of the book. One overriding theme of the book is looking to the smooth road...
Got “The Diagnosis”
Frequently, parents will come in to tell me that they got "the diagnosis" with the emphasis on the word "the" as if there is only one diagnosis out there. Of course, I look puzzled when I ask about "what diagnosis" and they tell me...
Not Into Cats: The Variables of Comprehension Testing
In the last few posts we have been exploring different aspects of assessment. With “NJASK: Don’t Ask” we discussed “Standardized Test Stress Disorder” and with “Assessing Comprehension: Know the Limitations” it was...
Assessing Comprehension: Know the Limitations
Probably the major reason parents seek an assessment for a child centers around concern with reading or reading development. Teachers and special education teams will talk about “comprehension” as if there is a standard agreed upon way to measure...
“Bully:” Some Thoughts About the Movie
I saw the movie “Bully” yesterday which stirred some thoughts. If you haven’t seen the movie, you should. My wife and I were both moved by the stories of the various children who had become targets of ridicule, mockery and social...
12 Year Old Boy Truths
I don’t know if you’ve ever been a 12 year old boy not (or in that age range), but chances are if you are reading this you probably haven’t been since most of the people reading stuff like this are the moms. Since I was once a 12 year old boy...
Listening to Dyslexia: “Heard, But Not Seen”
Recently I wrote a piece about defining dyslexia ( www.shutdownlearner.com/blog ), frustrated by the constant refrain heard by parents, “Well, we really don’t know what it (dyslexia) is.” What is puzzling to parents is the statement that...
Deconstructing Dyslexia
Probably a week does not go by where I haven’t heard something like the following from a bleary eyed parent: “The school is telling us that no one really knows what dyslexia is and if anyone really does it has to be a medically diagnosed.” ...
Getting Clear on “Average”
When a child is evaluated by the school’s special education team, frequently parents hear something like, “Your child’s reading skills are average, meaning he/she is not eligible for services.” Upon closer inspection of the child’s...